Setting your Virtual Assistant rates can feel like a minefield. Charge too little, and you’ll go out of business, but charge too much without backing it up, and clients may not hire you. In this post, I outline the different types of pricing models you can choose from so you can set a rate that’s fair, competitive, sustainable and makes you a ton of money!
How much should you charge for your Virtual Assistant services?
Your rates should reflect your skills, experience, and the value you bring rather than the hours you work.
Here are a few things Virtual Assistants should consider when deciding how much to charge.
Experience: If you’ve been in the workplace for a long time, you’ve already invested years in your education, training, skills and expertise. Plus, as your expertise grows, so should your rates.
Niche and expertise: General admin services often sit at the lower end of the scale, while you can charge more for technical, strategic and specialist tasks.
Client type: Corporates, charities, startups, agencies, and entrepreneurs all have different budgets and expectations.
Freelancers also have a lot of business costs.
When you work for a company, you receive:
- Holiday pay
- Sick pay
- A pension
- Maternity leave
- Petrol and mileage
- Equipment – desk, chair, computer, stationery etc
- Utilities – internet, phone, water, heating and electricity
- Skills training
- Guaranteed hours
- Job security (well, theoretically. Redundancy is a thing!)
- A regular income
As a self-employed person, you lose all of these things. Plus, you now have outgoings such as software, insurance, ICO registration, web hosting, contracts, and tax.
You didn’t set up your own business just to get by, so your rate needs to cover more than just your time.
Okay, back to the question of how much to charge for your Virtual Assistant services. There are a few different options you could take, and I’ve outlined them for you below.
I’ve provided more information about the hourly rate model as I have standalone posts that go into the other methods in more detail.
Charging by the hour
How it works: You track your time and charge for the hours worked.
Best for: Clients with variable workloads, one-off tasks (sometimes), new clients that are not yet ready for a retainer, and when working out how long an ongoing task will take.
Pros: It’s simple.
Cons: Tons of them!
The problem with this is that if you only charge by the hour, you’ll soon hit an income ceiling because not every hour is billable.
Apparently, there are only around five or six billable hours in a day.
The main downside to charging by the hour is that you become faster over time – which means you will end up being paid less money the quicker you get. DOH!
The hourly rate model can also lead to a feast-or-famine situation, and clients may focus on cost rather than value.
How much is the UK average hourly rate?
According to regular polls I run in your VA Handbookers Facebook group, the average rate for a UK Virtual Assistant is £30+ an hour and between $30 and $60 in the States, depending on expertise and experience.
I’m currently writing an entire post on this subject as I ask my audience twice a year how much they charge.
Charging a retainer
How it works: The client pays a set amount each month for an agreed number of hours or tasks.
Best for: Stable, recurring work.
Pros: The client knows how much they will pay, and you know how much you will receive.
Cons: You need to set clear boundaries to avoid scope creep. Clients don’t realise many tasks take as long as they do.
Retainers are great for Virtual Assistants and, along with project-based pricing, are the model you should try to implement.
You get paid upfront, you can accurately predict your income, and the client never has to worry that you won’t have the availability to complete their tasks.
As there is a lot to cover when it comes to retainers, I have a separate in-depth post that explains how monthly retainers work, how to get clients to agree to them and the various mistakes VAs make with a retainer model.
Charging by the project
How it works: You charge a fixed price for a specific task or outcome.
Best for: Defined projects such as event planning or techie tasks such as video editing, or creating a newsletter, membership site, or website.
Pros: The price is established for the VA and the client. With the emergence of AI, it’s now far easier to complete a task in a shorter length of time.
Cons: You have to accurately estimate the time it will take to avoid undercharging. The task needs to be clearly defined to avoid project creep.
Project rates are the best way to make money as a Virtual Assistant.
A project rate means you can charge way more than the hourly rate for completing the task. For example, I charge £250+ to set up a newsletter autoresponder sequence that usually only takes me around two hours to complete.
I can do it that fast because I’ve done loads of them, and I even have a doc for the client to complete, so I can collect all the information I need before I start.
It would be difficult to charge the client £75 an hour, but that is what I earn. Even if the task goes awry and takes longer, I still earn more than I would if I charged my hourly rate.
The client is also very happy because they don’t know how to do the task themselves. They also don’t care how long the task takes because a newsletter will generate them income and they just want it completed.
When it comes to providing a quote, unless you know how long the task will take (which is why it’s better to offer things you already know how to do), you would usually charge an hourly rate until you have a better idea and have also streamlined the process.
As mentioned, the more you do a task, the faster you will complete it. Charging a one-off rate for completing the task means you won’t lose money for being better at your job.
Charging by the day
While it is extremely rare for a Virtual Assistant to charge by the day, it is occasionally asked about in the Facebook group so I thought it was worth a mention here.
You may be asked for a day rate when working onsite or in another scenario so here is an example of a calculation currently used by freelancers (or contractors) in the UK:
Simple formula to calculate your day rate.
(£Your annual basic salary +30%) / 220 days.
You calculate your annual basic salary by multiplying your hourly rate by the number of hours worked a day, and then multiplying it by 220 days.
The figure of 220 days was reached as it is approximately the number of days you are likely to work after removing weekends, holidays and bank holidays
For example, a VA with an hourly rate of £30 working 6 billable hours a day could earn £39,600. Therefore their daily rate would be:
(£39,600+30%) / 220 days = £234.
This is just an example of course, you can change the number of hours of paid work per day and the hourly rate.
The current hourly rate for a UK Virtual Assistant is £30 but rising steadily.
Mindset is everything
Many new VAs worry about charging too much, but pricing is about confidence and positioning. Clients pay for results, not just time spent.
If you undervalue yourself, so will they.
Imagine if you were looking to hire an accountant or a web developer, and when you spoke to them, they were apologetic about their rates and came across as unconfident in their abilities.
You’d be worried.
When you run your own business, it’s important to be confident in your abilities and your fees – even if you’re new and feel uncertain inside.
This is why I always recommend you start by offering what you know.
If you do this, you’ll know how to do the tasks, you’ll know what to charge, and you’ll know how to market the services. You’re also likely to already know people who can hire you.
If you offer or take on tasks that you have no idea how to do, the opposite will be true.
Plus, if you mess up, your confidence will take a beating, and you may start to question whether you’ve made the right decision.
Don’t price yourself too low
If your rates are really low, clients will think your work will be of poor quality and that you don’t value yourself or what you do.
So they won’t either.
Cheapskates will always go for the lowest rate they can find, so don’t try to compete with other Virtual Assistants on price. There will always be someone cheaper than you – and you do NOT want to be in a race to the bottom.
I can tell you with absolute confidence that cheap attracts cheap, and if you go in too low, it will be harder to raise your rates later on.
It’s much better to pitch yourself as having a speciality and charge accordingly.
Many people won’t understand or appreciate the value of hiring a Virtual Assistant, but there are plenty of people who will.
You shouldn’t waste your time on someone who just wants the cheapest price. Instead, focus your efforts on clients who are looking for a fantastic service and are happy to pay for it.
This is why you should focus on utilising your areas of expertise.
Show your value and worth
You cannot underestimate the importance of being reliable, consistent, easy to work with, great at communicating, a brilliant problem solver, and able to understand and anticipate your client’s needs.
Clients will pay really good money for these qualities because they’re surprisingly hard to find.
Many VAs have poor communication skills, they don’t update their clients on the status of their tasks, they use personal problems as an excuse for missing deadlines, they leave their clients in the lurch and they mess them about.
I’ve met countless business owners who have had bad experiences with unprofessional Virtual Assistants, so market yourself as reliable, good at what you do, and someone who knows what they’re doing.
If you can also back this up with testimonials and case studies as evidence, then that would be even better.
Be mindful of freebies
Virtual Assistants are the loveliest, kindest people on the planet – which means they frequently end up massively overservicing their clients and giving away their time for free.
This can easily add up.
For example, at the average rate of £30 p/h, holding a free 15-minute catch-up call with a client each week equals an hour a month and £360 in lost earnings a year.
And that’s just one client for just 15 minutes.
Of course, how you manage your clients is up to you, but please be aware that time is money… your money.
Conclusion
When it comes to pricing your Virtual Assistant services, you will probably use a combination of the approaches outlined above.
But whether you charge hourly, by retainer, or per project, the key is to price confidently and ensure your rates reflect your expertise and worth.
Because this isn’t a hobby.
You’re a professional business owner, and if you prioritise your client’s business over your own and keep finding ways for your clients to pay you less, then you won’t have a business.
The most important thing is to be clear about how much you charge, make sure your clients always receive a top-rate service (but don’t overservice them), check they always know what they’re being charged for, and charge at least the going rate.
Also, don’t forget to add a minimum of 25% (I’d err on the safe side and go with 30%) to your prices to cover tax and other expenses.
Additional Resources
- You may find my post on what UK VAs need to know about tax and national Insurance useful.
- Inflation and rises in the cost of living mean you will need to regularly raise your rates. This post shows you how and when and even comes with a tried-and-tested email template.
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Looking for next-level pricing strategies?My advanced VA pricing course shows you exactly how to price projects and break down your services into packages. It’s full of practical pricing strategies and ideas and pays for itself immediately. |
Hey Jo my name is Faith, I am starting out. I already have my portfolio and I am looking into start marketing to get clients according to my niche which is healthcare providers and Consultants, since I have been in the medical field. Is this a good niche? and also I had tried joining your Facebook group but haven’t been granted access yet. Thanks for the article.
Hi Faith, yes it’s a really great niche and you can charge a lot of money for your skills, knowledge and experience in this area.
You have to answer some questions when you apply to join the group. If you don’t, you will receive a message asking you to reapply and answer them.
Hi Joanne, I am working as Remote Executive Assistant for a UK client full time that is 40hrs per month,I am based in Africa, how much should I charge my client for the administrative services?
Hello! The average rate for a UK VA is £30 p/h. Your client may have chosen you due to the exchange rate and lower fee, though. Overall, as a professional business owner, it is up to you what you charge and it is not for me to tell you what thatrate shuld be.
Thank you Jo – this article is so helpful!
Your last comment was in 2020 – so I thought I’d comment to let you know 8 years on (that was the date of the first comment so I assume the article was written then) you are still helping VA’s around the world! 🙂
I am in the planning stages of setting up my VA business and I must say your website has been such a great help- day one into my research and I have learnt so much!
This article is particularly helpful as I was not aware of having the option to do project work or setting up retainers – I simply thought you just billed at an hourly rate.
You have allowed me to see things from a different perspective – you are absolutely right, you limit your earning potential by just billing on an hourly rate.
I have had a think about my hourly rate and I will set it above the average UK rate as I live in London (enough said there) Although some may consider it a bit pricy I am not too concerned about this, as I feel it will not be a problem as for the clients I want to attract plus I am really good at what I do! We live a day and age where people want convenience and are willing to pay extra for it so this is where I come in. Having an assistant is a luxury and luxury comes at a price – if my rates are too high then my service is not right for you.
I have been a PA for 6 years and most of my experience is in investment banking working with the exco members and as a VA want to steer towards working with HNWI and my niche will be organising events whether it be a business or personal- so great earning potentials there for me in terms of project work as I can charge per event etc. 🙂
Anyway enough of me talking way!
Once again thank you for sharing all of your knowledge and advice it is a great help to me and all VA’s across the globe!
All the Best 🙂
You are so welcome, Sha. What I love about your comment is how confident you are. This can be an issue for women at the start of their journey but you have full confidence in your abilities and that you’re worth every penny. I think you’re going to be a fantastic Virtual Assistant; you have experience, a profitable niche and, most importantly, a can-do mindset. Be sure to join the VA Handbookers Facebook group if you haven’t already and feel free to ask any questions while you’re there.
I’m still in the process of setting up. This has been a very informative post. Thank you
AGREE!!
Joanne, thank you for all the resources and advice.
Please could I ask you how the retainer calculation works? For example, if I am booked to work say 8hrs every Tuesday, how would you navigate those months with a fifth Tuesday? Does a retainer call for a certain amount of give and take in such a situation, or do you work on a timesheet basis, accounting for each hour spent working for that client? Thanks in advance!
Yes, it’s a specific number of hours delivered over a calendar month. (1st to last date).
You use a time tracker (such as Toggl) and can also send a copy to the client if they would like you to do so.
Thank you, Joanne!
Hi there, as a VA for a year now – yay! I am braving the storm of asking for retainers from my clients, for all the reasons above. Can I ask do they need a contract for this, or would an email outlining the terms be suitable? Months notice of termination etc as normal? I also have to admit that none of my clients have contracts from me but I have contracts via their companies?? I need to sort this I know! Eek!
Hi Helen, you definitely need a contract for any work you do because you will definitely regret it at some point if you don’t. It marks you out as being a professional business owner and protects you from being sued or screwed.
I sell a contract which includes your T&Cs and you can find it here. It was written specifically for VAs by an international contracts lawyer and is updated and resent to buyers free of charge any time the law changes.
You can read more about contracts here on my post called ‘Should Your Client Sign a Contract?’
Thank you Joanne so very much for this wonderful well-written article! I appreciate your kind human approach. 🙂 Your tips and advice are very helpful!
Thanks so much for this helpful article. Rates for my VA business were kind of holding me back.
Hi Joanne,
I was wondering if all 3 days can be used in the way rates can be set? I’m a newbie and I’m trying to set up. I’m specializing in medical/healthcare bc I’ve worked as a unit secretary in hospitals and have at least 6 yrs experience. Please help me!
They can indeed. You just pick the rate appropriate for the task. A client is unlikely to go for a retainer if they haven’t worked with you yet and also you won’t have an idea of how long their regular tasks will take so hourly is preferable for both parties in the beginning.
So you could have one client on an hourly rate then move them over to a retainer, you could have another client who you charge a one-off fee for doing specific tasks and you could have a few other clients on retainers (and then by the hour if they occasionally go over their hours). You could even have a client who is hourly (or a retainer) then you quote a one-off project fee for setting up a newsletter etc. There are many tasks that should be package/project rates because otherwise you’ll never earn more than there are billable hours in the day. Moving away from an hourly rate is the goal.
What a fantastic website you have! Well done! So I’ve been hiring my millenial kids to help me out since my formal VA retired to focus on her passion (dance). They are quick to learn anything related to internet and one is studying marketing and is good with video, webpages, audio. The other is learning the ropes and will in the future become a health coach. Right now, doing some work for me is helping her by offering her a job and she’ll need to know this stuff when she’s a coach. So neither are worth the $30-40/hour plus at the moment. Do you offer any courses that teach the actual VA skill sets (not necessarily how to be in your own business and attract clients since they already have a client – me – since they both will move onto their own coaching businesses in the future)? Thank you!
Hi there and thank you very much for your comment. How lucky you are to have two children who are so eager to learn and get on in life! How marvellous.
I don’t actually offer any admin courses (a VA’s main skills are administrative) but there are many free admin courses online; Microsoft have a lot of good ones and so does Lynda.com. It doesn’t sound like your children actually need any specialist admin training if they are going to work in coaching though. Thank you again for reading and taking the time to comment.
“Warning – One of the most important things I’ve learned (and I learned this the hard way AND more than once) is that anyone who questions your rates, is going to be a nightmare client. They just want the cheapest rate and they’ll be awkward, pay you late and sometimes try to get out of paying you at all. They’re not worth the hassle so give them a wide berth.”
This paragraph really resonates with me, as it’s something I’m currently dealing with right now. It sucks, but I guess you live and you learn!
Thanks for this brilliant article. I go back to it time and time again whenever I get a new client, especially for project work, which is a bit trickier to work out, but hopefully I’ll get better at it in time!
Also in the UK, employers are required to contribute to a pension – something else that needs to be covered by your rate!
Hi Joanne, Thanks for this post, its been quite useful as I am just starting up a new VA business and wondering how much to charge, and if I should charge by the hour, pre-paid package or by the project. This has given me much to think about 🙂
Thank you so much for the guidance, I really appreciate it.
I also had another question that I forgot to ask. The author of that Lifehacker article wrote that occasionally a client won’t pay at all. He said to just accept this. That sounds awful to me, and I would not stand for it. Is it true and how do you deal with that? I did have a co-worker at my last job who was also a freelancer. He said he’d been waiting awhile for payments from a few clients. How long do clients usually take to pay? Does it just vary from client to client? Thanks so much for all the information and advice on this website! It’s helping me so much.
Hi Shani, I have a blog post called How to Handle Late Payers which covers this. I also have some late payer email templates in the Downloads section.
Hi Jo, I am in the process of setting up my VA business and deciding on my rates now. After reading your post and the Lifehacker one, I don’t want to list an hourly rate on my site. I just want to list the project and the retainer options. Would not listing an hourly rate turn some clients away?
Hi Shani. I discuss whether you should show your rates or not in this blog post.
Hi! After being laid off I decided to be a VA without too much research and by pure luck, I landed a dream client! She was searching for a pay per hour VA. I now know that isn’t ideal, but since I already gave her my price ($40/hr – it sounded good to me at the moment), I’m not sure if you have any tips for me regarding being paid per hour or what to include in the contract because that hasn’t been written yet.
Hi Diana, there may be different laws in the states to the ones in the UK regarding what needs to be in a contract because we have to comply with the Provision of Services Regulation 2009. I would use the free ones on this website or ask other US VAs/freelancers for advice. Regarding being paid by the hour, I would use Toggl time tracker and try to move them on to a retainer after a month or two when you are both happy with each other. Good luck with your new client!
Hello Joanne,
I loved this website, I am Confiance from Rwanda, I want to start VA in Rwanda, I have not heard anyone here doing this business but my concern is on pricing, and contracts. any assistance?
Thank you
Hi Confiance, I have blog posts on pricing and the VA Handbookers Facebook group is wonderful for providing answers to any other questions you might have. Here’s the link to join.
Hello J,
I am a property manager in real estate( residential high rise management) and I have about 8-9 years experience doing this. I feel there are so many levels of property management and believe I could offer my services in this specialty. Not sure if anyone is on this area yet.
Any advice on this front?
Also, how do I name my business?
Thanks and great articles.
Chris Chicago IL
Hi Chris, good to hear from you. I have a blog post on how to go about naming your business that you can find listed on the ‘Start Here’ page. The Facebook group (link in the sidebar) would be a great place to find out if there are any other VAs who specialise in real estate (I think there are) and it would also be a good idea to find out if this was viable yourself by asking your contacts. I look forward to seeing you in the VA Handbookers Facebook group if you aren’t already a member.
Very useful article Jo, please can you assist me in what packages you use as obviously the licences on the Microsoft Home packages are not acceptable for business and business packages are expensive for start-ups. Thank you
Hi Alison, I do actually use the Home version as I don’t need Outlook and the other things they offer. I just wanted Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
WAIT! I need help. I’m a new VA and my heart nearly exploded when you said, about not every hour being billable, that there’s emails to answer… What exactly do you mean by that? When I’m communicating w/ a client via email or having a meeting with them or talking to them on the phone about work, I am billing them (I work at an hourly rate). Am I doing something wrong by that? It’s part of the job, getting instruction?
Hi Lesley, thank you for commenting. No, you’re right, you DO charge for emails and calls that are completely client-related, but there will definitely be times where you will be doing your own admin stuff that isn’t directly client-related but will eat into your time such as sorting client folders and familiarising yourself with some of their systems. Unless a client says they’re happy to pay you to learn their systems then a VA should know how to use them if they offer that as a service. I don’t think I made that clear in the post and I can see why you thought that so I have amended it. x
Thank you Jo for another great article. I am steadily working my way through the course and all the various blog posts etc., so many great nuggets of information. The video is hilarious and really hits home – very, very helpful. “I am enough!” 🙂
Hi ,I’m new to this I didn’t know VA,s existed until recently browsed 9th Internet how to get extra income. I’m 60 yrs old experienced Logistics Route Planner. With 32 yrs – 18yrs in Logistics Planning Management I am wanting -willing to work from home as a VA .I cannot see this anywhere on the VA websites .Believing it to be new how do I start up .Could you be honest and advise me is it a good idea. I’m sure given correct contacts it would work.
Pete
HI Peter, good to see you. It is perfectly feasible for you to offer your services as a freelancer. Being a VA is kinda simple really: you offer your skills to people you know and people you don’t, you do the work, you get paid. That’s kinda it!
Many people over think it but it sounds like you have the skills, the experience, the knowledge, the contacts and the drive to succeed – and that’s all you need really. Everything you need on how to set up is here on this site so just keep reading. The START HERE page is the best option as you can see a list of everything I’ve written so far. x
Hi,
I am looking into setting up as a virtual PA, with legal as my speciality. However, I am unsure as to (a) what equipment would be essential; (b) what equipment would be a luxury; and (c) what clients would expect i.e. should I have a separate land line at my home dedicated to my business or should I simply use my mobile phone/Skype?
Any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Hi Sue, you’ll find the answers in my guide on what tools you need (and don’t need) to set up a VA business which you can access by signing up to my newsletter in the sidebar on the right. I say no to a separate land line otherwise you’re not going to be very virtual! I just use my mobile. You can have a Skype line if you want to though – I sometimes get one when I go abroad. Having legal services as your speciality os a fantastic niche and you will do well. As long as you can do the work, invoice and get paid, the rest just sorts itself out and isn’t that important. x
Excellent article. I’m an executive assistant with 30+ years experience. I have been considering the VA profession for a couple of years but trying to determine what and how to charge has been my biggest hold back. I’m set up and ready to go but not sure how to get started finding clients and then what to charge.
Hi Trisha, I’m really pleased you’ve decided to become a VA; it’s a great line of work. Everything you need to answer those questions is on this site. The blog posts 23 ways to market your business and the 3 best ways to find your first client will help you. My guide on how to get new clients also shows you the only method I use to get mine. x
I’m registered with Timeetc and while its a great place to start as a v.a., it doesn’t take long to appreciate that the hourly method of remuneration isn’t ideal. I recently branched out to taking private clients, with medical as my speciality, and am considering structuring a retainer package to offer potential clients. Great article as always Jo!
You’re welcome Ali! I love that there’s so many different niche’s for VAs and that medical is working out for you. People should always look at doing what they know. Retainers or project-based pricing is always good, I got some great ideas on how to add value and charge more from a book called The Wealthy Freelancer as well. x
Great article as usual Joanne! Thank you so much.